This Is the Police casts you as Jack Boyd, the hard-pressed police chief of Freeburg, a city caught between criminal gangs and a mayor willing to exploit the chaos. Boyd has 180 days before retirement to make $500,000, and the story’s central tension is how he pursues that goal while managing a department under pressure. The game frames his choices as consequential, shaping both the unfolding narrative and Boyd’s fate.
Its strategy comes through the work of running the department: assign attention to emergencies, manage officers, and investigate crimes by gathering evidence against Freeburg’s gangs. Challenges extend beyond police operations, with City Hall and the corrupt mayor threatening the department’s position. The format also shifts between situations, from crises at crime scenes and negotiations with crime bosses to press-room questions and courtroom cross-examination. That variety places administrative decisions alongside direct confrontations with the city’s competing powers.
The single-player structure makes this a narrative-led management and strategy experience rather than a shared-session game. Players follow Boyd’s story while choosing how to respond to people seeking favors, each of which comes at a price.
